The risk of ischemic cerebrovascular disease associated with benzbromarone use in gout people: A retrospective cohort study in Taiwan

Epidemiological studies have shown that people having hyperuricemia are at increased risk of ischemic cerebrovascular disease. This research aimed to study the relation of ischemic cerebrovascular disease with benzbromarone use among persons with gout-related disorders. This was a retrospective cohort design utilizing a 2003 to 2015 national health insurance database in Taiwan. Subjects aged 20 to 99 years who already had suffered from gout-related disorders were included as eligible subjects. Eligible persons who had the benzbromarone prescription alone were selected into the benzbromarone group. Sex-matched and age-matched eligible persons who never used any urate-lowering agents were selected into the control group. An index date was set as a date of benzbromarone being prescribed. The end-point was defined as ischemic cerebrovascular disease being newly diagnosed. A hazard ratio was applied to measure the association strength between benzbromarone use and ischemic cerebrovascular disease. Totally, there were 13,398 persons in the benzbromarone group and 13,398 persons in the control group. The incidence rate of ischemic cerebrovascular disease seemed to be modestly higher in the benzbromarone group than the control group, but it did not achieve statistical significance (0.78 vs 0.75 every 100 person-years, incidence rate ratio = 1.05, 95% confidence interval = 0.94-1.16). A crude hazard ratio of ischemic cerebrovascular disease showed 1.05 in the benzbromarone group (95% confidence interval = 0.94-1.17, P = .373) comparing with the control group. No significant association can be detected between benzbromarone use and the probability of ischemic cerebrovascular disease among persons with gout-related disorders. We think that reduction of the serum uric acid by use of benzbromarone could not be related to the probability of ischemic cerebrovascular disease. Further research is suggested to clarify this issue.